.Thomas McWhorter of New Jersey
and Orange co., NY
(cir1710-17??)
According
to The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography [see reference #1] and
several family traditions, a Thomas McWhorter [db#33] came "to America from
Scotland before the French and Indian War and settled in New Jersey". I have been
unable to find any documented evidence of Thomas presence in America, but it is
indeed possible that he did come and that his name was Thomas as all three (3) individuals
thought to be his children had children of their own named Thomas.
Speculative
and misleading stories about Thomas, retold over the years, have helped to greatly confuse
his beginnings and those of his children. In The History of the McWhirter Clan (1937)
[see reference #3] Ethel Keim related that "Thomas McWhirter thought to be a son of
Hugh McWhirter, went from Delaware to Avoca, New York, where he located...". This
suggestion that Thomas was one of the several "unnamed" children of Hugh
McWhirter [db#1] who settled in Pencader Hundred, New Castle co., DE about 1730 has
persisted without supporting evidence and has been repeated by several McWh*rter writers
including Ura McWhorter Byars in her book Exits and Entrances.
In point
of fact, Mrs. Keims assertion is not true. The first settlers of the village of
Avoca, New York were William and Michael Buchanan (husband and son of Mary McWhorter [db#1141])
who arrived in what was then wilderness about 1794. A Thomas McWhorter [db#5226]
was an early settler of Avoca, about 1800, and was a son of a Hugh McWhorter. But this
Thomas (b. 1763[8]) was a son of a different Hugh McWhorter [db#35] (brother to
Mary) who brought his family to Avoca about 1796. Hugh McWhorter [db#1] of Delaware
died in 1750 and could not possibly be the father of the Thomas, b.1763, who settled in
Avoca, NY.
Although
we may not know whether the "original" Thomas [db#33] ever came to
the colonies, or if we have his name correct, some things are known. A family of
McWhorters, including at least three (3) siblings, surfaced in Orange County, New York
shortly after the French and Indian Wars and lived not far from the border with New
Jersey.
Thomas
children are thought to include:
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Hugh
McWhorter [db#35] who was born about 1737 and married a Kezia Tyler [db#36].
As early as 1775 Hugh was living in Warwick township, Orange co., NY and he served in the
Revolutionary War as a sergeant in Col. John Hathorns regiment under three different
captains. There exists a Certificate of Payment to "Sergeant Hugh McWhorter" for
his military services in the Orange County Militia, 6-Jun-1779; 25-Jul-1779; and
11-Jun-1780. It appears that after the war he removed his family to Northumberland County,
PA for in 1790 a "Hugh McWhorter & son" are listed in the census there (2 wm
16+, 3 wm 15-, 4 wf). He later removed his family up the Susquehanna River to the
wilderness which was to become Avoca, NY. Hughs death in Avoca on 6-Mar-1812 was the
second in that town.
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Mary
McWhorter [db#1141] married William Buchanan [db#1142] who with
their son, Michael [db#9891], was sent by a Colonel Williamson to a spot
in the New York wilderness designated as "Eight Mile Tree" there "...to
keep a house of entertainment in the interest of the settlement of that section." The
spot marked as "Eight Mile Tree" by the Phelps and Gorham surveyors stood about
a quarter of a mile south of the present village of Avoca. There William and Mary and six
children settled in a "rude log Inn". Soon a small settlement known as
"Buchanans" grew up about the Inn and Marys brother Hugh, his wife and six
children soon were settled there as well. Ethel Keim tells a fascinating tale of William
Buchanans childhood [See story on page 8].
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Gilbert McWhorter
[db#626], or someone thought to be of that name, was father to at least five (5) sons who
grew up in Orange co., NY during the latter 1700s. According to the writings of Lucullus
Virgil McWhorter [db#372] [see reference #9] the father of these boys was said to
have been a linen weaver who came to New Jersey from northern Ireland before the French
and Indian Wars and died prematurely leaving his family in "penury". Although
Lucullus provides detailed descriptions of the five sons of Orange co., NY he never
provides a name for the father of the boys. At least three (3) of the boys served in the
Orange County Militia in the same regiment as Hugh McWhorter [db#35],
believed to be their uncle. It is thought by some that Gilberts wife may have been
the "widow" Magdalean McWhorter [db#12675] who on 9-Nov-1780
married a William Gardiner [db#12674]. One of the "McWhorter
boys", Henry [db#94] eventually removed to what is now West
Virginia. [See article on Henry McWhorters Cabin on page 9.]
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The Modified Register Report which
follows relates information currently in the MCWH*RTER DATABASE.
Anyone with additional information to offer or who believes that a correction to some
of the information is justified should feel free
to offer their assistance.
1. Thomas? McWhorter #33 born cir1710, Ireland? Scotland?.
.....Children:
.......+ 2. i Hugh McWhorter #35 born 1737.
.......+ 3. ii Mary McWhorter #1141 born cir1745.
.......+ 4. iii Gilbert McWhorter #626 born 17??.
Second Generation
2. Hugh McWhorter #35 born 1737, married Kezia Tyler #36, born 9-Sep-1747,
died 10-May-1841. Hugh died 6-Mar-1812, Avoca Village, Bath twp.,Steuben co., NY.
.....Children:
..........5. i Thomas McWhorter #5226 born 15-Jan-1763, married Sara Buchanan
#5225, born 29-Mar-1768, Northumberland, PA, (daughter of William Alexander Buchanan #1142 and Mary McWhorter #1141) died
7-Jan-1848. Thomas died 17-Jun-1847, Dansville, NY.
..........6. ii Tyler McWhorter #37 born 10-Dec-1777, Orange co., NY, married (1) 1798, Anna Armstrong #38, born 25-Dec-1779, died
9-Nov-1842, Blooming Grove, Franklin co., IN, buried: Blooming Grove, Franklin co., IN; married (2) bef1850 in IN Mary A. ? #24309 born
26-Aug-1813 in NC, died 30-Aug-1852 in Marshall co., IN; married (3) 7-Dec-1853 Anna
Rose #24310, born 14-Apr-1791, died 26-Nov-1867. Tyler died 22-Feb-1858,
Marshall co., IN, buried: Summit Chapel cem., Tippecanoe twp., IN.
..........7. iii Kezia McWhorter #9867 born 20-Mar-1778, VA, married William
B. Buchanan Jr. #11162, born 12-Jan-1784, (son of William Alexander
Buchanan #1142 and Mary McWhorter #1141) died 1874 or 1882?, buried:
Elmira, NY. Kezia died 19-Jul-1819, Avoca, Steuben co., NY.
..........8. iv John McWhorter #9868 born 17??, died yng.1797, Northumberland
co., PA.
..........9. v James McWhorter #9866 born 3-Sep-1785, VA, married (1) 1811, in
prob. Avoca, Steuben co., NY, Ann Parker #9876, born 27-Oct-1777, (daughter of Nathaniel Parker #24311) died
25-Apr-1854, married (2) aft1854, Arthusa ? #19092, born cir1790. James died
22-Jan-1856, Avoca, Steuben co., NY.
..........10. vi Elizabeth "Betsy" McWhorter #9865 born 9-Jul-1792,
Northumberland co., PA, died 28-Oct-1814, Avoca, Steuben co., NY.
3. Mary McWhorter #1141 born cir1745, NJ?, married William Alexander
Buchanan #1142, born 1739, NJ, (son of George William
Buchanan #24298 and Catherine McDonnel #24299) died
13-Jul-1818, Avoca, Steuben co., NY. Mary died 6-Apr-1821.
.....Children:
..........11. i John Buchanan #11159 born 1766, married Esther Luker
#11163, born cir1770.
..........12. ii Sara Buchanan #5225 born 29-Mar-1768, Northumberland, PA,
married Thomas McWhorter #5226, born 15-Jan-1763, (son of Hugh McWhorter #35
and Kezia Tyler #36) died 17-Jun-1847, Dansville, NY. Sara died 7-Jan-1848.
..........13. iii Thomas Buchanan #5040 born 4-Aug-1772, Newton, NJ, married
21-Apr-1802, in Avoca, Steuben co., NY, Jane Johnson #5041, born 2-Mar-1782,
Newton, Essex co., NJ, died 3-Sep-1867, Norwalk, OH. Thomas died 20-Apr-1859, Nowalk, OH.
..........14. iv Michael Buchanan #9891 born 1778, married Ann Parker
#9876, born 27-Oct-1777, died 25-Apr-1854. Michael died befMar-1812, Avoca Village, Bath
twp.,Steuben co., NY.
..........15. v Mary Buchanan #11160 born cir1780, married in Dansville, NY, William
Street #11164, born 17??.
..........16. vi Jane Buchanan #11161 born 1781, married Phineas Squires #11165,
born 1782.
..........17. vii William B. Buchanan Jr. #11162 born 12-Jan-1784, married (1) Kezia
McWhorter #9867, born 20-Mar-1778, VA, (daughter of Hugh McWhorter #35 and Kezia
Tyler #36) died 19-Jul-1819, Avoca, Steuben co., NY, married (2) Betsy Osgood
Whitbeck #11166, born cir1790, married (3) Patience Hazen #11167, born cir1790.
William died 1874 or 1882?, buried: Elmira, NY.
4. Gilbert McWhorter #626 born 17??, prob Ireland, married
pos Sarah ? #24398 born 17??..
.....Children:
..........18. i John McWhorter #630 born bef1755, pos NJ or NY, married pos Mary ? #3636, born 17??, died aft1803 or pos Margaret Carr #263, b. cir1765, died abt1848.
John died abt1803, Orange co., NY.
..........19. ii Gilbert McWhorter #629 born cir1755,
married (1) Huldah ? #24307 born abt1768, died 1808, Sugar Loaf, Orange
co., NY, buried: McWhorter Farm, Sugar Loaf, Orange co., NY; married (2) Lavina
? #24308, born 17??. Gilbert died 1834 Sugar Loaf, Orange co., NY
..........20. iii James McWhorter #628 born cir1760, pos NJ.
..........21. iv Henry McWhorter #94 born 13-Nov-1760, NJ, married 1-Aug-1783,
in Bucks co., PA, Mary Fields #95, born 28-Oct-1761, PA, (daughter of M. Walter
Fields #575) died 28-Aug-1834, Harrison co., VA, buried: McWhorter's farm, McKinney's
Run, VA. Henry died 4-Feb-1848, McKinney's Run, Harrison co., VA, buried: McWhorter's
farm, McKinney's Run, VA.
..........22. v Thomas M. McWhorter #627 born 12-Oct-1762, Orange co., NY,
married Susanna Sutton #2486, born 5-May-1767, (daughter of John Sutton #2487)
died 1-Dec-1827. Thomas died 13-Dec-1809, Orange co., NY.
..........23. vi Robert McWhorter
#24305 born 17??, married Elizabeth ? #24306, born 17??. Robert died
1813, Vernon twp., Sussex co., NJ.
References for
Researchers ofThomas McWhorter
of New Jersey and Orange co., NY.
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The National
Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. XXIX, James T. White and Co., NY 1941, p. 174.
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Daughters of the
American Revolution Magazine, Vol. 56, 1922, "Queries", p. 480.
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History of the
McWhirter Clan by Mrs. Ethel Keim, Latrobe, PA, published by Walter Printing Co.,
Latrobe, PA, 1937, p. 5-7.
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Some Descendants of
David McWhorter and Mary Poston by Mrs. & Mrs. E. R. McWhorter, 1978, Longview,
TX, p. 200, 201.
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History of the Henry
McWhorter Family of New Jersey and West Virginia by Minnie S. McWhorter, 1948,
Charleston Printing Co., Charleston, WV, p. 13-18.
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Historical Gazetteer of
Steuben County, New York, compiled and edited by Millard F. Roberts, published
Syracuse, NY 1891, p. 111-118, 284, 285.
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Daughters of the
American Revolution - Patriot Index, p. 480.
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New York Genealogical
and Biographical Record, Vol. 60, 1929, "Federal Census of 1800 - Steuben County,
New York", p. 50.
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The Border Settlers of
Northwestern Virginia by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, originally published Hamilton, OH
1915, reprinted for the Clearfield Company Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore,
MD 1991, p. 274-295, 482-484.
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Federal Census 1790
- Warwick Township, Orange County, New York.
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